Our Wild Lives
Our Wild Lives takes listeners into the heart of wildlife conservation, sharing compelling stories from wildlife professionals doing critical work around the world. Your hosts Katie Perkins and Ed Arnett, of The Wildlife Society, bring you thought-provoking conversations with leading experts and emerging voices. Each episode dives into the wild lives of diverse species, explores complex ecosystems, and unpacks the urgent issues facing wildlife conservation.
Episodes
27 episodes
Keeping Birds on the Map: Bird Conservation in North America
Birds have been declining since the 1970s. Now scientists, non-governmental organizations and everyday birders are doing everything they can to stabilize and rebound populations across the globe. In this episode of “Our Wild Lives,”...
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47:30
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Building a Better Backyard for Wildlife
As spring begins to emerge, so does the opportunity to support wildlife and increase biodiversity in your own yard. In this episode of “Our Wild Lives,” TWS member Shaun McCoshum, a botanist and landscape ecologist, tells us about w...
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41:19
Reforestation, Reggaeton and the Recovery of Puerto Rico’s Crested Toad
Wildlife lovers had a special treat at this year’s Super Bowl—Bad Bunny’s halftime show featured an endangered Puerto Rican toad. While it may have been the first time some viewers saw the species, the amphibian’s natural and cultural significa...
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27:40
Montana’s Migration Marvel
For a few short weeks starting in late February, there is a window of opportunity to see an enormous congregation of geese, swans, ducks and other birds at a wildlife management area in Montana during their annual migration to northern breeding...
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34:49
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When Wildlife and Aviation Collide
Richard Dolbeer has spent his career trying to strike out airplane collisions on birds–his pitch for a solution has always been to support management action with good science.In this episode of “Our Wild Lives,” host Katie Perki...
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52:40
Wildlifer Wellness
Our winter 2026 issue of The Wildlife Professional featured a special focus on the mental health of wildlifers with articles discussing burnout, reh...
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36:59
Conserving Wildlife on Working Landscapes
With nearly 60% of the United States under private ownership and management, private landscapes are a significant opportunity for large-scale wildlife conservation.In this episode...
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59:52
NEPA: The Policy Behind the Places We Love
After nearly 60 years of the National Environmental Policy Act, proposed changes could threaten the strength of this cornerstone conservation legislation. In this episo...
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30:24
Why Publishing Matters: Inside TWS Journals
Publishing peer-reviewed research in journals like the Journal of Wildlife Management shapes the wildlife profession every day, but where did it start and why does...
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32:25
A Reflection on 36 Years with the USFWS
After an unexpected early retirement from her 36-year-long career with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, TWS member John Ann Shearer looks back on a career rooted in collaboration and resiliency in this
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28:42
Bridging the Gap: Transportation Ecology
Wildlife vehicle collisions are responsible for more than $10 billion in damage in the United States each year. They also kill or injure a massive number of wild species. Management tools such as overpasses, underpasses, and more help reduce th...
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53:26
Out in the Field: Inclusion in Wildlife Conservation
What started as an op-ed in The Wildlife Professional has turned into a society-wide, member-led initiative to illuminating and elevatin...
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33:40
Lessons from a Conservation Pioneer, Cliff Bampton
Cliff Bampton’s career in wildlife management traces the origin of the profession. From graduate school dropout to chief of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission's Division of Game, Bampton helped define modern wildlife management. &...
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34:39
ESA Rule Changes, Explained
The National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have proposed four rul...
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26:32
The Bear Necessities
A century ago, black bears in North Carolina were on the brink. Today, they’re thriving in mountains, coastal swamps, and even neighborhoods.In this episode, we sit down with Colleen Olfenbuttel, TWS member, longtime bear biologist and t...
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50:03
How Hunting Helps Wild Turkey Recovery
A century ago, wild turkeys were a rare sight in many parts of the United States. Populations were estimated to be 200,000 or less across the country. Through science-based conservation and management, education, and sound policy, the
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37:00
How to Stalk a Predator
How do a lifetime of “firsts” and a fearless curiosity reshape everything we know about the world’s top predators?In this episode, we sit down with Maurice Hornocker—TWS member, Aldo Leopold Memorial Award winner, and a widely considered...
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47:34
Conservation Trouble in Paradise
The U.S. Virgin Islands is a picture of paradise, with pristine beaches, and postcard views of green hills and turquoise waters. But their name and the beautiful landscape disguise the fact that islands like St. Croix have experienced massive e...
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18:12
From Science to Song: Merging Music and Wildlife
How can the worlds of wildlife conservation and music come together in perfect harmony? This episode brings together longtime members of The Wildlife Society, Emily Thoroski and Merlin Shoesmith, to show how science and art collide....
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28:11
How Colorado Brought Wolves Back
How does a voter mandate become a wolf reintroduction program? In this episode, Katie and Ed sat down with Brenna Cassidy and Eric Odell of Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) to unpack the Colorado gray wolf (Canis lupus) re...
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49:50
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Navigating the Human Side of a Science Career
You signed up for wildlife science to work with animals—then discovered most of the job is working with people...In this episode, Katie sits down with Dr. Anna Chalfoun in Pinedale, Wyoming, to unpack the soft skills that drive great sci...
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31:26
Discovering Urban Wildlife
What if the wildest place you visit this week is the tiny park down your street? Urban wildlife biologist Sam Kieschnick of Texas Parks and Wildlife joins us to show how Dallas–Fort Worth’s “mosaic of green and gray” holds more life than most p...
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38:08
